Spinacia oleracea
Botanical Name
Spinacia oleracea
Hardiness
Annual
Height
6 to 12 inches
Width
6 to 12 inches
Light
Full sun to part shade
Soil
Moist, well-drained
Planting and Care
Sow seeds a half inch deep, 1 inch apart in rows 12 to 18 inches apart, thin to 2-6 inches apart when plants reach 1 inch in height; plant successive crops every 2 weeks until last frost; mulch to maintain moisture and prevent bolting; harvest when young
Harvesting
The best quality spinach is harvested young. Pick the outer leaves when they reach 6-8 inches in length. Remove larger plants until all the spinach is harvested.
Problems
Leaf miners, blight, fungal diseases
Varieties to Consider
'Giant Nobel' - large smooth leaves, 43 days to harvest
'Winter Bloomsdale' - cold tolerant, slow to bolt, good blight resistance, 45 days to harvest
'Melody' - crinkled leaves, resistant to downy mildew and blight, 42 days to harvest
'Winter Bloomsdale' - cold tolerant, slow to bolt, good blight resistance, 45 days to harvest
'Melody' - crinkled leaves, resistant to downy mildew and blight, 42 days to harvest
Did you know?
Savoy varieties such as 'Tyree' and 'Vienna' make great additions to the edible container garden. Being elevated out of the garden prevents the crinkled leaves from catching soil during rain while allowing the interesting foliage to star in any container grouping.